Bandwidth-efficient continuous media streaming through optimal multiplexing

Maximizing bandwidth efficiency in dist,ributed continuous media streaming systems is the key in delivering cost-effective mult,imedia services to distributed and heterogeneous receivers. We introduce a technique based on stream multiplexing to achieve the highest possible bandwidth efficiency, while preserving stringent and deterministic quality of service guarantees. The technique accomplishes the optimal multiplexing (i.e. resulting in the lowest possible bandwidth allocation) by exploiting both the temporal and the spatial structures among a group of continuous media streams. We present a family of optimal multiplexing schedules. The adverse per-stream effects of optimal multiplexing are studied and a technique based on t,ransmission rearrangement is proposed to mitigates these effects, without sacrificing the achieved mult,iplexing optimahty. The results presented in the paper provide some fundament#al criteria and limits in the design a.nd evaluation of resource alloca.tion, admission control and &ream scheduling policies for bandwidth efficient continuous media streaming.